Summer Update

Overall I am doing great! I look and feel tired and I'm still not sleeping well, but I think that's just the way it goes after going through what I've gone through. I will recover and plan to slow down a little after school starts.

After going in for my pre-op appointment to begin reconstruction I've decided to hold off for now, for reasons I can't really talk about in this format. Suffice it to say I have a new plastic surgeon and will be getting started in October. I wanted to enjoy the rest of my summer pain free (the expanders can be painful for the duration they are in, as they are enlarged each week to stretch the muscles). We are also planning a vacation to Disneyland with the kids in October, so I'd rather not be in pain or on drugs for that experience either.

The lymphedema in my left arm is getting worse. My arm feels heavy and it is swollen. It feels spongy, like a sand-filled stress ball. I'm also retaining fluid around the incision site on the left side. I really need to stay in bed and elevate my arm, but I can't do that - it's summer and I'm having fun with my kids and husband! I do elevate it when I can... mostly late at night after I've taken my lorazepam (relaxing medicine). Austin makes pillow piles for me to rest my arm on. I'm currently re-decorating Amanda's room, it's an easy project that will be done by Saturday (hopefully). I know the painting will aggravate the swelling, but it's worth it to accomplish this for her. I see a specialist at the lymphedema clinic on Tuesday. They will probably give me a compression sleeve to wear, which I'm sure will help some. My attitude (which is not what the doctor wants to hear) is to to for the gusto until I see the specialist - maybe I'm not the best patient right now, but I am living life and doing what is important to me.

On the last day of school we made a list of fun things we wanted to do this summer. We've done a lot - so far: hiking, puppy classes (our dog failed puppy class, that's another story), camping, Mariner's game, picnic, sleepovers, go karts, drive-in movie, have lunch with dad, swim, go to camp, vacation bible school, plant flowers, bike riding, get ice cream from the ice cream man, Nathan's birthday, go to Corbin's house, ferry boat ride, Orcas Island, camp fires, s'mores, lots of reading and fireworks. Left on our list are: make home made root beer, soccer camp (planned), water park (planned), Cannon Beach with friends (planned), ride the ducks (planned), sail boat ride, dig clams(planned), car races and fishing (planned). Whew! It has been awesome!! To top it off we had an absolute blast at my brother's 40th birthday party. I've never had a better roasted pig. Loved it!

I have been busy making two family picture walls, one going up the stairs and the other at the top of the stairs. I've also framed some pictures from our trip to France. This has been a big project because I've never ordered prints since switching to digital in 2003! It is easy and now I'm hooked. This is very morbid, but honest - in case I die I want lots of pictures of me around the house. A dear friend of mine made a CD for me when I was going through chemo. It has the song "Keep on Rollin'" by REO Speedwagon on it. I've been listening to that CD in the car a lot lately. It is exactly what I have got to do - physically, mentally and emotionally - Keep on Rollin'. I listen to my chemo play list all the time and have added that song to the list. Every day cancer free is another day toward full recovery. I continue to pray for full recovery and complete healing. I am also able to attend my young survivor's breast cancer support group more regularly, which is very helpful. My next appointment with the oncologist is the last week in September.